The Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson has been named the George Young NFL Executive of the Year by The Sporting News Magazine. The voters for the George Young Award are Thompson's general manager peers and other team executives. In this years voting 48 votes were cast and Ted Thomson won handedly with 19 first place votes, Jerry Reese of the Super Bowl winning Giants finished second with 9 first place votes. The other 18 first place votes were split between 9 other executives. Ted Thompson became the tenth general manager of the Green Packers after signing a five year deal January 15, 2005. Prior to joining the Packers Thompson was vice president of football operations for the Seattle Seahawks working for former Packer head coach Mike Holmgren. During his time with the Seahawks Thompson's main responsibility was the NFL Draft. His five drafts with the Seahawks included seven players who earned all-rookie, all-pro or Pro Bowl honors. Of the 47 players the Seahawks drafted in his tenure, 31 remained on the roster when he left.

Ted Thompson took over the GM responsibilities from then head coach and general manager Mike Sherman, he later replaced Sherman as head coach with current head coach Mike McCarthy in January 0f 2006. McCarthy led the Packers to the NFC Championship Game in his second season as a head coach.

Under Sherman the talent level of the Packers had been steadily decreasing due to poor drafts. In his short tenure with the Packers Thompson has used his strength in evaluating college talent to re-stock the team through the NFL Draft. While he has not drafted many instant impact Pro Bowl players, he has drafted many players who are very solid at a young age such as starters Nick Collins, A.J. Hawk, Greg Jennings, Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Johnny Joll, James Jones, Mason Crosby. Thompson still has missed on players notably his fourth round pick in 2006 WR/KR Cory Rodgers who did not make the team out of training camp, however Thompson seems to try and stockpile picks by trading players and down in the draft to give himself more opportunities at success. Thompson's draft picks helped make the Packer's the youngest team in the NFL in 2007 however they were able to make it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

While Thompson has not been very active in free agency he has signed players that have made a big impact on the field primarily CB Charles Woodson and DT Ryan Pickett both signed in 2006. In 2007 Thompson drew the ire of then QB Brett Farve for not trading a draft pick for Randy Moss who went on to a record breaking season with the New England Patriots who went undefeated in the regular season and reached the Super Bowl with his help.

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